How to "Sun Print" onto a T-Shirt ･ﾟ✧ DIY Cyanotype Tutorial
Teaching you how to use solar energy to create works of art
Happy Friday to all my beautiful zine machines! ✂️
It’s Bre from Bre’s Tiny Print Shop here with a fun project you can enjoy with the whole family this weekend. If you follow me on Instagram or TikTok, you might have seen me turn my zine covers into these "sun printed" t-shirts:
This process is done by using "cyanotype" dye which gets darker (or develops) when exposed to the sun. Historically this camera-less technique was how architects and engineers developed their design plans and blueprints. They’d coat their paper with this blue “cyanotype” dye, lay their designs over it, then let it all sit out under the sun. Over the course of a few minutes, their designs would appear within the blue dye leaving them with copies of permanent blue prints.
Today in 2024 we use this process for all sorts of artistic expression in a variety of colors that go beyond just blue. I've worked with the brand who makes this specific cyanotype dye for paper and natural fabrics, Jacquard, in the past to give you guys a short 60 second tutorial on how I print my shirts like this.
However, I know a lot of us are visual learners and enjoy step-by-step walk throughs so I’ve posted a full length tutorial on YouTube that’s available to watch right now ☀️ In this 20 minute video I teach you about exposure times, supplies you'll need to get started, and how to clean up after your done printing your master piece.
Keep in mind that this process involves quite a bit of trial and error, so don't feel bad if you mess up the first couple of tries! You will see that even I mess up in my tutorial and give you an example of a "misprint" where I ruined a shirt…when this happens I simply have to restart the process over. Sure, it’s frustrating at times but don’t let that stop you from creating art. It’s all part of the process!
Although this is a tricky project that involves some experimentation, the journey towards getting your photo to print using solar energy is a lot of fun in itself. So whether you're looking to make a whole eco-friendly fashion business out of sun printing or just want to have fun like me and my zine making friends, this tutorial will help you feel more confident in your cyanotype abilities...
Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and turn notifications on so you'll be reminded of when I post future tutorials just like this one. Also please feel free to leave comments telling me what kind of videos you’d like to see on my channel — I’d love to hear your thoughts!
I hope you enjoy and have a great weekend x
Bre